Le Havre AC

Le Havre AC
Full name Le Havre Athletic Club
Nickname(s) Le club doyen (The Dean Club),
Les Ciel et Marine (The Sky-and-Navy)
Founded 1872 (1872)
Ground Stade Océane,
Le Havre
Ground Capacity 25,178
Chairman Vincent Volpe
Manager Oswald Tanchot
League Ligue 2
2015–16 Ligue 2, 4th
Website Club home page
HAC in Tournoi de paques 1913

Le Havre Athletic Club (French pronunciation: [lə avʁ]; commonly referred to as Le Havre) is a French association football club based in Le Havre, Normandy. The club was founded originally as an athletics and rugby club in 1872.[1] Le Havre currently plays in Ligue 2, the second level of French football, and plays its home matches at the Stade Océane.

Le Havre made its football debut in France's first-ever championship in 1899 and, on its debut, became the first French club outside of Paris to win the league. The club won the league the following season in 1900. Le Havre has yet to win the current first division of French football, Ligue 1, but has participated in the league 24 times; its last stint being during the 2008–09 season. The club's highest honour to date was winning the Coupe de France in 1959. Le Havre is captained by defender Steven Fortès. The main rivalries are "Derby Normand" with SM Caen and an always heated clash with Lens, located in the region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

History

It was in 1872 that a group of British residents formed Le Havre Athlétique,[2] which played a hybrid form of football, a cross between rugby and association football, called "combination". Association football began being played on a regular basis in 1894.

In 1899, Le Havre became the first club from outside Paris to become French football champions. At the time the championship was organised by the USFSA. After being awarded a win over Iris Club Lillois in the semi-final by walkover, they were awarded the title after also receiving a walkover in the final against Club Français.[3] They would also win the following year, with the final being a "re-match" of the forfeited 1899 final.

The club is famous for its notable youth investment program which develops and nurtures young talent, with the vision of using them in the first team if they show enough promise. A vast amount of good young talent has gone on to make an impact at international level including Benjamin Mendy, Ibrahim Ba, Jean-Alain Boumsong, Lassana Diarra, Riyad Mahrez, Steve Mandanda, Vikash Dhorasoo, Paul Pogba and Dimitri Payet.

The club was on the receiving end of some high-profile illegal transfers, by which Charles N'Zogbia, Matthias Lepiller and Paul Pogba were signed by other clubs, allegedly without the proper compensation being paid. The first two were arbitrated by FIFA, who ordered Newcastle United and Fiorentina to pay training compensation.

Club culture

Le Havre is known as 'les ciel et marine' in France, which translates as 'the sky and navy blues'. These colours were chosen by the club's English founders as they were those of their alma maters, the universities of Oxford and Cambridge: the anthem of the club is played to the melody of "God Save the Queen" to mark the English origins of the club:

"A jamais le premier
de tous les clubs français
ô H.A.C.
Fiers de tes origins
Fils d'Oxford et Cambridge
deux coulours font nôtre prestige
Ciel et marine!"

English translation:

"The first ever
of all French clubs
The H.A.C
Proud of your roots
Son of Oxford and Cambridge
two colors make our prestige
(the colors of the) sky and the sea!"

Players

Current squad

As of 2 September 2016.[4]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 France GK Stephen Milosavljevic
2 Morocco DF Issam Chebake
3 France DF Ferland Mendy
4 France DF Harold Moukoudi
5 France MF Thomas Ayasse
6 Morocco FW Tarik Tissoudali
7 France MF Jean-Pascal Fontaine
8 Algeria MF Zinedine Ferhat
9 Mali FW Mana Dembélé
10 France FW Mathieu Duhamel
11 France MF Ludovic Gamboa
15 France DF Samba Camara
16 Guadeloupe GK Yohann Thuram-Ulien
17 France MF Alexandre Bonnet
No. Position Player
18 Cape Verde DF Steven Fortès
19 France MF Sébastien Salles-Lamonge (on loan from Rennes)
20 France DF Grégoire Puel
21 France DF Dénys Bain
22 France DF Victor Lekhal
23 Egypt FW Taher Mohamed (on loan from El Mokawloon)
24 France MF Rafik Guitane
25 Hungary DF Barnabás Bese
26 France DF Cédric Cambon
27 France FW Ghislain Gimbert
28 France FW Alimani Gory
29 France FW Nathaël Julan
30 Benin GK Fabien Farnolle

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
France MF Dylan Louiserre (on loan to Avranches)

Reserve squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
France GK Yohan Blind
France GK Dan Delauney
France DF Paul Bougrat
France DF Jérémy Balmy
France DF Lenny Houelche
France DF Kévin Mendy
France DF Benoît Perre
Mauritania DF Demba Sow
Togo MF Sandro Agape
France MF Elton Boketsu
Guinea MF Oumar Camara
Tunisia MF Yacine Chatar
No. Position Player
France MF Mansour Diallo
France MF Marvin Dubourg
Ivory Coast MF Gussouma Fofana
France MF Morgan Gereto
France MF Landry Koukoui
France MF Rénald Metelus
Madagascar MF Héry Randriantsara
France MF Drissa Traoré
France FW Jordan Cuvier
France FW Abdoul Diawara
France FW Adam Nkusu
France FW Jordan Vercleyen

Honours

former logo

Managerial history

References

External links

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